this tell you compromise is possible in washington or was that just politics? >> i think compromise is always possible in washington. you know, it's standard in any kind of negotiation, including negotiations in business between management and unions for things to go down to the 11th hour, that doesn't mean things are falling apart. it's the nature of the game, way it's played. our government has managed to get through many, many crises and despite the rhetoric and despite the hostility, we do tend to get things done eventually. it would be a lot nicer if people were more civil to one another, but the reality is the government is actually pretty effective in the long run at getting things done. i'm always an optimist on this and i think we can do it. >> we know you two disagree on a wide range of policies from taxes to the role of government. where do you find common ground? what do you agree on? austan? >> eddy and i have been friends for a long time. it's funny, we were together a few days ago and thinking about that exact subject. i thnk we have pretty broad agreement on tax refo

's largest companies met with the president and warned that washington must reach a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. the president also sat down with congressional leaders and officially began negotiations. if congress doesn't act taxes on income, dividends and estates will go up and spending cuts will kick in january 1st. this week, i spoke to allen simpson ander skis bowl subpoeimpson anders skin bowls. >> you can't spend or grow your way out of. this grab hold it will be a rocky road. >> you say closing the loopholes alone brings a trillion. >> if you are willing to wipe out all of them and that may not be feasible but you can broaden the base, simplifying the code. >> you are worried we are not going to get a deal. that is how i felt. >> i think there is one-third probability we will get a probability in lame duck and one third we will go over the cliff and reach a deal right afterwards but there is a one-third chance that we won't and we will end up in chaos. >> for weeks and months we felt no one could be dumb enough to see it would let it happen and now they see it could happen and now

a dozen of america's largest companies met with the president and warned that washington must reach a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. the president also sat down with congressional leaders and officially began negotiations. if congress doesn't act, taxes on income, capital gains, dividends and estates will all go up. and automatic spending cuts will kick in, beginning on january 1st. this week, i spoke with alan simpson and erskine bowles, authors of a deficit reduction plan about what needs to be done. >> you can't tax your way out of this. you can't cut spending your way out of this. you can't grow your way out of this. so grab hold, it's going to be a rocky, rocky road. >> so you're saying closing the loopholes alone brings it to a trillion. >> if you're willing to wipe out all of them, and that may not be political feasible, but you can definitely solve the problem by broadening the base, simplifying the code and getting rid of the tax expenditures. >> it upsets me you're worried we're not going to get a deal because that's how i felt. >> i think there is a one-third probability we'll

Excerpts 0 to 9 of about 10 results.